Safe Place
by Amazilia
Summary: Post 456 Gwen/Jack Pairing. What does Jack find when he finally returns to Earth? Will he be able to make things right again? Non-Con and Violence but not written in detail. Happy Ending. COMPLETE.
1. Chapter 1

He sat in the bar. It was yet another bar on yet another planet. The only thing he cared about was the glass in his hand. More specifically, he only cared about the fact that the glass was empty.

"Another" he grunted to the bartender. It obliged. He wasn't exactly sure what "it" was and he didn't exactly care.

He took a swig of his drink. 'I really wish I could get drunk' he thought sullenly. He had built up a real resistance to alcohol. At this point he had to risk alcohol poisoning just to feel buzzed.. Not that alcohol poisoning worried him...This particular drink tasted like a mix of sour yogurt and banana with an aroma of sweet equine piss.

After sitting in that bar on that planet for just a little too long, he got up quickly and strode over to one very nice looking woman. He made sure to put on his attractive demeanor.

"Hi, I'm Tyler Smith". He flashed her a smile, white teeth gleaming and blue eyes twinkling.

He had stopped using his old Alias in an attempt to move on with his life. Choosing instead, to name himself after two of his friends he _hadn't_ gotten killed.

"Hello, Sweetie" returned the woman, wild curls blooming around her face. She looked him up and down, a playful smirk pulling at her lips.

He grinned at her response, leaned in close to her, and whispered, "Sweetie huh, you'll be crying more than that by the end of tonight". His hot breath may have smelled strongly of alcohol but it still tickled her neck in a pleasant way.

She smiled and turned her head away, giving him more neck to breathe on.

He got the hint and obliged.

There were a couple of electrifying breaths breathed before she turned towards his oh-so-close face to give him her response "Is that so?"

He pushed forward, leaning against her in her corner-of-the-room chair and placed his hands on the wall either side of her face. "Yes". They were both loving it. His lips were touching hers and she was breathing into his mouth. Their eyes were locked. Not quite kissing can be most of the fun sometimes.

"Well alright then" she said before pulling him into a deep kiss. Her tongue dove into his mouth ruthlessly, surprising him only momentarily before he matched her ferocity with his tongue.

He pulled her out of the chair and sat down, taking her with him. His hands wandered to her bum and felt a very nice round rear. His attentions came back up when caught sight of her well-endowed chest. She was pushing it upwards to his face, grinding it against him. And he, like the gentleman he was, wasn't about to turn her down. His hands left her ass and found new homes on her chest. He squeezed her and brushed his knuckles across the soft exposed flesh above her low but not too low neckline, eliciting a contented sigh from the woman.

Gasping away from their kiss he rested his head against her shoulder. "Do you want to get a room with me?" He knew the answer. Girls just like being given an option.

"Yes" She was excited. It was about time to start experiencing her new body and this guy seemed like he was in the right place at the right time.

He picked her up, her legs wrapped around his waist, and he carried her out. Pausing only for a moment, he tossed a tip at the bartender.

After what seemed like way too long, he found a room at a crappy alien hotel. They kissed their way onto the bed, battling for dominance. He got the upper hand, shoving her down ripping off her clothing as she made quick work of his. Taking a moment to look at her naked form underneath him, he admired her full curves and classic "human" look.

She really was beautiful; golden skin, large full breasts, very curvy sides and hips, long legs, and green/blue eyes challenging him to find fault. He found none in her. She grabbed his face and pulled him down for more deep kissing. His hands wandered to her breasts again, carefully caressing them. He stroked up and down her sides.

He wondered if he would remember this one.

He'd had so many lovers in recent history, his nights were blurring into one long amorous haze.

That night, while thoroughly enjoyable, ended in the same emptiness that he couldn't seem to shake. He lay by her side staring at the ceiling as she recovered, panting and whimpering in satisfaction, but it had no affect on him.

"You... That.. Wow." She rolled on top of him and kissed his chest. His hand came around her reflexively, stroking her well muscled back.

After several minutes, Jack was restless again. He rolled the now sleeping woman off of him and wandered out of the room, shutting the door quietly so as not to disturb her.

He found his way to his recently acquired ship and sat sullenly in the Captain's chair. Motionless for hours, he fought with himself as to where he should go next. The pull towards earth was getting stronger by the day. He had hoped that the tie he felt on his soul to earth would fade. Years of drinking and hookups had dulled his pain but only if he was constantly distracted. When he faced reality, he had to acknowledge that no amount of drinking and sex could make him feel alive and free from his past. With each encounter, he felt more distant from the experience. It was habitual. The pleasure that sex brought him became more and more fleeting with each repetition. It was harder and harder to find distractions in this life.. No more.. He needed to see a friend.

'It's time to visit earth' he decided.

XXX

He landed his ship beside the ruins of Torchwood 3.

"Anybody home?" he called out, glancing at where he knew the cameras were located. After a few minutes of delay, Martha Jones came out to greet him.

"JACK!" She flew at him, running. They collided into a hug. It was one of those big, sloppy, satisfying hugs.

"I can't believe you're back" she mumbled into his shoulder, noticing his RAF coat was missing. In its place was a black leather vest.

"Martha Jones" He said with a smile.

They broke from their embrace and he grabbed her arms asking, "How are things down here?" His eyes searched hers for hints.

"We stated rebuilding the hub a couple years back. That first year without you was rough, Jack. Gwen called me asking for help, so of course I came. There was so much devastation, not to mention the entire world was living in fear of the next attack. But now things are really settling."

He noticed Martha had glanced away when she had mentioned Gwen. He grimaced internally.

Putting on his calm, cool, and collected demeanor, he asked, "So, how is Miss Cooper? Is she inside avoiding me?"

Martha's usual bright smile faltered then she gave it up completely.

"She's not in the hub, Jack... Let's go in and have a sit?" Martha led him down the newly constructed tunnels of the hub and into a makeshift living area. They took a seat on a crisp looking blue couch.

"I asked her to step down after that first year."

"What? Why?!"

"It became apparent to me that she needed to get away from this place. It was hurting her and she wasn't... she isn't... in any state of mind to be of help."

"What do you mean, 'state of mind'?"

"Jack, after you left she didn't know what to do. She was lost. I could hear it in her voice when she called me. Her reason for calling was that she was about to give birth so she needed someone to watch the rift, but I knew it was deeper than that. She needed someone to be by her side and help her-"

Jack cut in, "She wasn't supposed to stay with torchwood! I meant for it to fall apart, dissolve, not continue on like a dog that just won't die!"

"I know, Jack. But Gwen had to hold onto it. I think her job became a crutch for coping with her misery. Jack, she developed some... issues."

There was a moment of silence

"Like what?" He asked flatly.

Martha seemed to hesitate before a look of grim determination took over and she explained. "After her daughter was born, she fell into serious postpartum depression. She hadn't been too cheerful before, but there was a significant change in her after. She began staying out all night drinking and when Rhys confronted her about those habits, she would explode at him. She was regularly unfaithful and expected Rhys to pick up the pieces of her life again and again" Martha paused for a moment then continued. "About a year ago he gave up, filed for divorce, and got custody of their child. Gwen was so devastated she became suicidal. I did my best, Jack, I really did! I visited her as often as I could and listened to her rants about how cruel Rhys was being. Honestly, though, I'm siding with Rhys on this one. He had to protect his daughter from Gwen. Gwen was being so erratic and uncontrolled, the child wasn't safe with her."

"Where is Gwen now?" He had been listening to Martha with a calm face but inwardly, he felt like crawling into a hole and never coming out.

"I know of a few of her favorite places to be. Bars and clubs mostly. She got her flat reclaimed sometime last year so now she has a little place south of town. She is almost never there, though".

"Where do you think she is now?" He asked. He hadn't had any plans to see Gwen specifically before this conversation with Martha, maybe he had hoped to see her, he conceded, but now he needed to seek her out.

"It's getting late and its Wednesday, so she is probably at the pub.. Girls drink free on Wednesdays there."

"Thanks, Martha"

They stood up and Jack pulled her into another hug. He sighed and released her.

"Is this goodbye, Jack?" Martha asked, non-accusingly.

He turned and began walking away, stopped, and said, "I don't know yet. I don't want to stay but I need to see Gwen now"

"If you aren't going to stay, it might be better if you didn't let her see you. I don't know how your return then subsequent departure would affect her."

"Understood" He murmured then left.

Up until that moment, he hadn't realized seeing Gwen was his intention for visiting Earth all along. There was no way he could have stayed away with her so close. The entirely of the universe hadn't made him forget her. How could he think he could ignore her while he was on the same planet?


	2. Chapter 2

**Early update! Couldn't resist :)**

When Jack surveyed the room he didn't see her at first. He didn't even think to examine the bony half naked girl snogging a man in the back. Then he heard her laugh and he homed in on the sound. His breath caught in his throat.

"Oh my God, Gwennie" he whispered under his breath.

He was standing just inside the entrance of the pub, hidden behind a curtain. It was a smoky dark room filled with loud men and a few sad looking women. This was about the same kind of bar he had been frequenting during his time away.

He stared at her, taking in her gaunt features and frail body. She wore her typical tight black jeans but they only served to show off her emaciated frame even more.

She was sitting in a burly man's lap and was engrossed in their kiss. He was touching her all over, sliding his hand in her pants and grabbing her ass, squeezing her breasts roughly, and grinding himself against her. The other men in the bar were watching openly. He noticed a few of them were even touching themselves.

He bristled with anger. No one should treat her like that. He couldn't believe she wasn't slapping the shit out of the man knowing if he had ever tried to pull antics like that with her, he would have certainly gotten a smack or two.

Almost wishing he hadn't come, he turned away and left.

The Gwen he once knew seemed gone. The woman in that pub was just a shadow of _his _Gwen.

XXX

Deciding he needed to take a walk and get some fresh air into his old lungs, he wandered mindlessly around Cardiff for several hours. The night air was bitingly cold and he wished he still wore his old coat.

When the sun started peaking its face up above the horizon, he found himself back at the pub. Wanting to get a drink, he took went in and took a seat at the bar.

"What will ya' have?" The bartender asked with a thick Irish accent.

"Whatever is the strongest thing you got" He responded.

The man smiled and pulled a bottle from under the counter. He looked to be in his fifties and had deep smile lines on his weathered face.

"Here ya' go"

"Thanks"

The bartender didn't have much to do. He had already cleaned up most of the mess from the night before so he causally leaned against the counter, scrubbing minuscule bits of dirt from its surface.

"Not from around here, are ya'?" This American stranger had peaked his interest.

"Neither are you" Jack countered

"Fair enough" The man smiled. "What's your name? Didn't I see you in here earlier last night?"

"Tyler.. My name's Tyler. And , yes you did.. I thought I saw a friend."

"You were eyeing that black haired lass weren't ya'?"

"Yes, sir. I used to know her. I came by to check on her"

"Wish ya' had stayed a while longer. I'm a little worried about the men she left with. I've been watching that there lass too, ya' see. She seemed like she had been in here a lot drinking more than is what's good for her".

"What do you mean you were concerned about the men? What about them?"

"Well they were getting rough with my daughter a few nights back. Poor Molly was just trying to serve them their drinks when they scared her pretty thoroughly."

"What happened?" He asked, deadly serious. He could tell Gwen probably wasn't making any distinctions between good guys and the dangerous ones and knowing from experience she was the perfect prey for guys like that; guys like himself.

"The leader of them threw my daughter down and I just barely managed to get him off her before things got real nasty. I banned the bloke but his mates still frequent here".

"When did they leave?"

"Oh, probably around four this four this morning?"

"Any clue where they might be now?"

"I know a few of them work at the Mill. They might be there."

"Thank you." Jack paid the man, shook his hand and left for the lumber mill.

XXX

He recognized the man from the pub.

"Hey there, I'm looking for a girl". He was careful to smile and seem non-threatening.

"Aren't we all?" came the reply.

"Well, you see, I'm looking for a specific girl and I've got reason to believe you can help me find her"

"Yeah?" He was distracted; not making eye contact and walking around writing on his clipboard.

"Yeah. You know Gwen and I need to know where she is." He allowed strength to creep into his voice.

The man paused for a second and looked at him. "I don't know anyone named Gwen"

He laughed then stared the guy down "That's funny because you were making out with her last night."

"Sorry, mate, can't help you." He walked away towards a group of several men in hard hats. They had previously been milling around looking busy but now had formed a pack. One man stepped forward. He had on a red hard hat while the rest were wearing yellow. It was obvious this man was the boss.

"Hey I don't mean to bother you, but I need to talk to your man there." He put on his calm demeanor again.

"Any problem you got with him you can take up with me." The boss said.

"See, I don't know yet that there is a problem. I'm just trying to find my friend. Your man was with her last night.. Actually, most of these guys were there. So, if anyone would like to help me, I'd be grateful."

The boss turned and addressed his men, "Well, guys? Anyone know what he's talking about?" he asked with sarcastic mirth in his voice. They all shook their heads and grinned at jack. "Sorry, mate, can't help you". The boss was standing there in front of him so cocky and smug, there was no way that guy was going to get out of this without a slug across the jaw.. at the very least.

"Well alright then" he said. Shrugging, and half turning away as if to leave, he swung at the boss, making full contact with his face.

The boss reeled back and plopped to the ground, taken back. His men stood staring for a split second before rushing his attacker.

A guttural yell escaped him as he smacked the first man to reach him to the ground. That was when the real fight ensued. He got caught in the moment, letting his disgust for these men and pent up aggression drive him. It was a blur of fists and shouts. He felt someone punch him hard in the stomach and another knocked him across the mouth but he continued. Punch after punch struck home and he found himself on the ground. He saw the boss standing over him and pulling out a knife. The other men were standing around him ready to kick if he moved.

The boss slowly approached, then slammed the knife deep into his chest.

"THAT takes care of business. Now get back to work, boys" The man said jokingly and slowly stood up.

He felt himself slipping, blood bubbling up his throat and choking him. Then it was dark. The darkness was familiar; it was a place of calm, of resting. With a gasp he was back, the light of the morning sun hurting his eyes.

"What the-"

He pulled out his gun so quickly the boss hadn't had time to finish his sentence before he fell to the ground, blood pouring out from between his eyes.

There was a moment of shocked silence before the next man moved to reveal his own gun and received a shot through the chest. The rest of the men got smart and backed away slowly.

He got up and pointed his gun and the burly man from the bar. "Get over here, bitch" he growled and signaled with the gun exactly where he wanted the man to stand.

The man sulked over and received a slug to the jaw. "Now tell me. Where is fucking Gwen Cooper?"

The man giggled and smirked at him. "What do you want with that whore?". He then found himself pushed up against a pile of logs with the American's fist closing around his throat.

"I'm not going to ask again. Where is she?"

"What happens if I don't answer?" Burly Man growled.

"You will die. If you don't answer, I'll shoot you, you and your friends. Believe me, no one can hide when I want revenge." His grip tightened around the man's throat, causing him to cough and gasp. "But if you do answer, you will get a chance to run".

There was a few more seconds of silence. "We left her down by the docks." The man hissed.

"Thank you!" Jack practically screamed, throwing the man down and spinning away quickly.

He tried to keep his composure as he walked away, needing to not let these scumbags see him frightened. He was very worried for Gwen. He had to find her. Hopefully he wasn't already too late.

'I'm three years too late' he thought sullenly.


	3. Chapter 3

The shadows had stretched themselves into long, distorted replicas of the original objects that had first created them. His tussle at the mill had lasted longer than he thought and he had to inform Martha about the mess he'd left. That hadn't been a pleasant conversation. One day back and already two were dead Martha had complained.

Scanning the area, he looked for any signs of her.

He wound his way through the twisted maze that was the Cardiff docks, shouting her name urgently and praying (to no one in particular) she had not been hurt. Maybe he was just overreacting. Then again, the same man she had been reported to be with the night before had killed him. "Not a good sign" he murmured, responding to his own thoughts. He struggled to push them away and focus on the task at hand: finding Gwen.

Not seeing her after a good half hour, he allowed himself to hope she hadn't been hurt and had already gone home. Then he heard the wail of a cop's siren. It sped towards the docks and his heart sank.

He took off at a sprint after the car. A few minutes later, he arrived at the scene.

"Oi! This is a crime scene! Stay back!". He was being stopped by one of the two cops at the scene.

"Torchwood" was his aggravated and out of breath reply.

The cop who hadn't addressed him was kneeling by something out of view behind the car but when he heard 'Torchwood', he jerked around to get a look at the man who had spoken.

"Jack Harkness?" Andy questioned disbelievingly. After a moment of recognition from both parties, he yelped, "Jack get your bloody arse over here! Its Gwen" Panic had risen in Andy's voice by the time his sentence concluded.

Pushing past the cop who was blocking his way, he rushed to Andy's side.

"Oh God, she's dead! Oh God, Gwen, no!" Andy was wailing.

"Shut up!" He felt her pulse and noted the rise and fall of her chest. "She's not dead. See?" He placed Andy's finger under Gwen's nose to let him feel her breath.

Andy struggled to control himself. With a deep breath, he pulled out his walkie and spoke into it, explaining the situation.

Interrupting him, he said, "Andy, I'm taking her to Martha". He glared when Andy let out a childish cry of protest and then continued. "I need to borrow the car".

XXX

Speeding through the rush hour traffic, sirens blaring, he took moments to glance at Gwen's sleeping form in his mirror. Sprawled out in the back of the car, she looked terrible; lips bloodied and swollen, clothing torn and missing. He noted deep bruising to her upper arms and chest. Rage built up inside of him, threatening to explode. After nearly running down a man on a bike, he forced himself to ease up on the gas and relax his death grip on the wheel.

"Martha, I've got Gwen. You need to be ready to examine her when I get there.. Yes, she looks pretty bad.. Five minutes?.. Great." He hung up and glanced back at Gwen once again. She was stirring. Unsure of what to do, he decided to keep silent. She groaned painfully and her eyes fluttered open. He stared at the road in front of him trying his best to ignore her.

"Jack?"

He heard her groan his name in a voice broken enough to rip out his heart.

"It's ok Gwen, we're almost to Martha. She will take care of you." He said softly, trying to reassure her but also not quite certain she was lucid. He almost said more but stopped himself when he saw that she had fallen back into unconsciousness.

A long minute later, he was parked by Torchwood 3 once again and was pulling Gwen out of the back. He carried her like a sleeping child into the tunnels, meeting Martha just inside the entrance. She matched his hurried pace and directed him to the reconstructed medical bay.

He set her down on the cold metal table, his hands hesitating on her skin before he stood back, giving Martha room to work.

After hooking Gwen up to several devices monitoring her various functions, she took out a recording device. Turning it on, she began her exam. She spoke aloud the date, her name, listed Jack as a witness, and patient Gwen Cooper.

"Patient is unconscious but stable. Initial exam indicates she has bruising on the.. cheekbones.. both upper arms encircling the biceps.. lips are swollen and have broken skin.. neck and shoulders have human bite marks, several were severe enough to break skin." Martha inspected Gwen slowly and listed off each injury like she was checking off her grocery list. "shirt is torn and bra is exposed.. I'm removing the shirt to put into evidence."

Turning to Jack, Martha said, "Jack, will you help me?"

He nodded.

"Great, just sit her up so I can pull of the shirt.. Thanks. Patient's shirt is removed and in evidence. Removal of the shirt has revealed more bruising to the torso.. concentrated on the hips and rib cage…"

After laying Gwen down again, he stood closer than before so when she stirred slightly, eyes flickering underneath their lids, he was the firs to notice.

"Martha" He cut her off mid report. "Martha, she's waking up."

Gwen's eyes fluttered open. They were unfocused and glazed. She took in her surroundings.

"Hey, love." Martha smiled sweetly at Gwen and reached to stroke her hair. Gwen jerked away, eyes wide. She scrambled to sit up and was off the table making a run for the door before either he or Martha could stop her. The flight was short lived as she collapsed just a few feet from the table. A low yell began to come to life from out of her lips as she crawled to hide in the corner of the room. The yell evolved into a screech, momentarily dying when Gwen gasped for another breath, then springing to life again.

Jack approached her slowly. "Gwen, honey, its ok." He knelt down beside her, hands open and displayed to show his good intentions.

She continued to scream, looking around wildly and curled into a ball. He was reminded of a caged bunny cornered by a cat.

He reached forward, grabbing her securely and pulling her into him. This elicited a struggle from Gwen. She was trying to save her life and she was fighting hard.

The whole time he was speaking low, steady, reassuring words to her. She didn't seem to notice.

He attempted to stand up in order to put her back onto the table but Gwen went mad with fright, scratching at his face and bucking her body in an effort to escape his grasp. After a few more seconds of wild thrashing, Martha came forward and injected her with a sedative.

Picking up the recorder, which had been left on to witness the entire scene, she spoke into it once again. "The patient has been sedated. It was apparent she was going to hurt herself or one of us in her fright. I'm continuing the exam"

He slowly lowered her onto the table once again. This time he was shaking with adrenaline. That had been too much. He felt something trickle down his cheek. Surprised and thinking it was a tear, he reached up to catch it and realized it was his blood.

He was jerked back into the present when Martha used his old name.

"Jack, can you take off her jeans? After that you can go take a break if you want. Ill be examining her in greater detail and I wouldn't feel comfortable with you here."

After deftly removing Gwen's jeans, he put on a blank face and walked out.


	4. Chapter 4

He wandered around the mangled remains of the hub. Dust, rubble, and mold starkly contrasted with the shiny new sections. Now and again he would see something he recognized, bringing with it a flood of memories. This place had been his home for so long. He built it. He destroyed it. 'There are too many ghosts here'. He had to get out.

"Martha!" He called, "Martha, I'm leaving to take care of business" The sentence was spoken grimly.

"Ok. Jack!" echoed her response.

XXX

Leaving Gwen in Martha's capable hands, he set off for the police station in the new Torchwood RV. Upon arriving, he found Andy.

"Andy!"

Andy jumped at hearing his name spoken so brutally.

"Jack! How is Gwen? Is she alright?"

"She's alive" He said, sarcasm weighing his words heavily in an attempt to hush the officer up. "I need to know if you have any men from the lumber yard here right now?"

"Yeah, we got one guy, why?"

"Take me to him."

"Well, alright, Jack."

When they reached the prisoner's cell and Andy unlocked it, he said, "Leave us, Andy" while giving the poor man a glare. There wasn't even a childish cry of protest this time.

He opened the door and walked into the cell alone.

"Oh GOD, no, not him! Get him away from me!" The imprisoned screamed, obviously afraid. That made him smile.

"Hello to you too!" He smirked and rushed the young man, pushing him against the wall. "Now make this easy for yourself. Don't lie. Did you rape Gwen last night?"

"NO! I swear! I was with her in the pub but I left to go home before the rest of the guys did. I PROMISE! I've got a girlfriend, she can back me up!"

"OK then, who _DID _rape her?"

"The two men you killed earlier and three others were there I know. They were laughing about it this morning!" The unfortunate soul was in tears. "_Please_ don't kill me."

He laughed and stood back, letting the prisoner collapse to the floor. "If you didn't have anything to do with it, why are you in here?"

"There was an investigation because of what you did this morning. I was caught in possession of bloody heroin."

"I see."

"Yessir. I swear, I don't run with those guys. I just work at the mill."

"Where can I find the other three?"

"One of them's got a girl who lets him use one of her rental properties. They could easily be hiding out there."

After giving his interrogator the location, he tentatively asked, "So, uh, earlier.. You were dead.. And then you weren't?"

"Yep. Spooky, huh?" Smirking, he left the befuddled man to stare at his retreating back.

XXX

He stood outside the run down flat, not knowing what he would do once inside. 'Only one way to find out' He kicked the door down, gun drawn.

"On the ground!" he screamed, pointing his weapon at the two occupants. They jumped into the air shouting.

"On the ground! NOW" He tried again. They fell to the ground yelling unintelligible phrases.

"Alright, you" he pointed to the man closer to himself. "Here. NOW!"

His prey scrambled to obey, all the while continuing his stream of nonsensical begging.

"Shut up, and think very _carefully _about what you say next." While he spoke, the second man edged towards a door at the back of the room. He shot a round above the attempted escapee's head. "Yeah, don't even think about that." Focusing on the man trembling in front of him, he said, "Alright, now. Did you rape Gwen last night?"

The man sputtered for a few seconds.

So he tried again, this time with the gun digging against the man's skull. "Did you rape Gwen?!"

"YES, yes. I did! I'm sorry I'll never hurt anyone again!" The rapist was sobbing and looking up into his eyes imploringly.

"Men like you don't deserve to live. You get a rush from forcing yourself on innocents... And you're not even man enough to do it yourself. You needed your buddies to protect you." He was growling his words, spitting them out from between his teeth painfully. Restraining himself was harder than he thought it would be.

"I swear on my life I'll never touch another woman again."

"Turn yourself in."

"OK, alright, just _please_ don't kill me."

He kicked him backwards and signaled for the other man. "Your turn. Get over here. _Now._" After the man complied, he asked him the same first question. "Did you rape Gwen?"

This one had gotten smart from watching the first interrogation. "Yessir, I did. I'm sorry and I'll turn myself in too, I swear. I'd never done that before! I was drunk and I didn't know how to get out of it! I'd never live it down with the guys if I hadn't done it."

"You might not live at all because you did" he threatened. "So, there was one more man there, am I right?" His quarry nodded. "Where is he and what is his name?"

"Mason Davies, he's hiding out around the pier."

"Thank you. By the way, I've been recording all this. Knowing you are going to pay is the only thing keeping me from killing you right now."

He left them shaking to find his final target.

XXX

This is the man who had been kissing her in the bar. This is the man who he had been slightly jealous of. This is the man she had chosen to be with that night. This is a man she preferred to be with over himself.

These were the thoughts running through his mind as he made his way across the pier towards the large figure of Mason Davies.

"Mason!" he called out.

Turning slowly, Manson faced him. "Well look who's found me."

Stopping only a few feet away, he said, "You didn't think I'd be able to stay away from a sexy man like yourself, did you?"

"Ha, as if. You're here to scare me and make me change my ways."

"Maybe. I don't know yet."

"Fair enough."

There was a pause as both men sized each other up.

"What did you do to her?" He finally asked. His voice was low, almost sad, but the edge of hate evident.

"I got her to come with me out of the pub by telling her we were having a party by the docks. Told her I wanted to bring her as my date. She was so pissed she didn't notice anything amiss until I'd pinned her to the ground. She didn't even struggle long, the bitch. Gave up after a minute and just lay there. She took the bloody fun out of it. Felt like fucking a corpse. I like it when they scream" He cackled, drawing out the last word.

"Why, WHY did you do that to her?! She is precious."

"It made me happy". The statement was exactly same as the one spoken by the cannibal those few years ago.

He felt the cold claws of rage twist his gut. "You should have run". Pulling out his gun, he shot the reprobate in the chest. The wound was placed so that he would either be found and saved or he would die a slow struggling death.

His mission complete, he headed back to the Hub.

XXX


	5. Chapter 5

"Jack, glad you're back. She should be waking up soon." Martha had already finished the exam, covering Gwen with a blanket when she was done.

He and Martha stood outside of the medical bay.

"How is she?"

"She was definitely raped. Fortunately she will be fine and I managed to get lots of physical evidence we can use in court."

"That's great. I got confessions from a few guys."

"That's great.." Martha didn't really know what he was talking about but let it go and continued, "I did some tests for STDs. I'll have the results of those in a tick but I'll have to see her again in a few weeks to do some more tests."

"Ok… I'm glad she's not badly injured."

"Me to. She is battered and bruised and God knows how she's long she will need to heal emotionally, but I'd say she's lucky to have escaped worse injury."

They paused when they heard a moan from the medical bay.

"Looks like she's waking up. Are you coming?"

"I'm going to wait outside, but I'll come in if you need me again."

"Ok, Jack" She walked into the bright new room.

XXX

Her eyes opened and she didn't know where she was. Scared, she tried to sit up but was overcome with vertigo.

"Gwen, Sweetie, you're in the hub. You're safe now." It was Martha. She was walking towards her.

She shook her head slowly trying to clear the fuzziness, "What's happened? Why am I here?"

"Gwen, you were assaulted, do you remember?"

Confused and frightened she thought back to her last memory but it was out of reach. "I.. I don't remember." She sat up, slowly this time. Realizing she was naked, she clutched the blanket to her chest.  
>"You were at the pub last night and you left with several men?" Martha prompted. It was essential that Gwen remembered quickly so that she could move on to the next phase of recovery.<p>

"I.. oh, god." Gwen started to shake, digging her fingernails of one hand into her thigh. She remembered. A flood of memories rushed back causing a few tears to slip through her squinted eyelids. She sat, quaking with emotion until Martha reached forward to comfort her. "I'm fine.. I'm fine" Flinching away from the touch, she struggled to regain her composure. She sat perfectly still; eyes closed tightly and fingers still digging into her flesh through the blanket but she tried to project an air of calm

Martha eyed her critically but assented and moved on to the next part of the exam "I've got to ask you a few questions, ok Gwen? I need to ask about what happened. After that you don't have to talk about it anymore, alright?"

"I understand" Gwen said; her words distant and separate from herself.

"Alright," Martha turned on the recorder, and began her questioning "so, Gwen, where did your assault happen?"

"By the docks."

"How many men were there?"

"Five"

"Did they all rape you?"

"Yes"

"Did you know any of their names?

"No... But I'd been with them drinking before... it happened"

The questions continued a while longer. When they were done, Martha switched off the recorder.

Gwen was thoroughly exhausted. She felt like she had a fluff of cotton in her skull instead of a brain. "Why am I so tired?"

"You woke up earlier but you were still reacting to your experience. You weren't all here. I had to sedate you because you were struggling so hard.

"Oh..." She mumbled. ".. I'm sorry"

"Don't be sorry Gwen, this wasn't your fault"

"Right..." It didn't sound to Martha like Gwen really believed her own words but Martha let it go. There would be time for emotion recovery after her immediate needs were met.

She got Gwen a cup of water. Handing it to her, Gwen looked up at her and softly spoke, breaking away from her controlled monotone. "I... I dreamed Jack was here... holding me. I haven't dreamt of him in a while now."

That statement threw off Martha a little. Gwen was trying to open up and that was good, but should she tell her Jack _had_ been holding her? No, let jack reveal himself if he was ready for that. If not, Gwen would never have to know he had come back. It was probably better if she never knew.

XXX

He had been listening to the encounter. Glad to hear Gwen's voice again, he let himself imagine her beautiful lips speaking those rolling welsh vowels. He let himself be angry all over again when she described her trauma. Hearing the scene recounted in such an emotionless, dead way broke him. Gwen's spirit was pushed down deep, only allowing reason and logic to delegate her words. 'So… clinical' he thought bitterly, remembering when she had once told him off for being the same way.

And then he heard her say his name. There was a hint of her pain in the words. Taking about him brought back her spirit. It sounded so torn. Revealed in her words was a deep turmoil. She wanted him back. She wanted him to come back and hold her.

He could step out from behind the door and show himself. But what then? If he showed himself he would have to get even more involved than he was. He could still back out now. But if he took one more step, there was no backing out. He would have to deal with everything he had been running from.

'God damnit, why are you such a coward?' he berated himself. 'You're Jack Fucking Harkness. He's been to the end of the universe. He's died every day for a year. He's saved the world countless times. He's faced the Devil Himself. He can manage this."

Understanding he had just taken on his old alias once again, understanding there was no going back, Jack stepped out from behind the door.

XXX

There was Jack. He stood in front of her. Right there in the room. But he couldn't be here. This Jack wasn't real. Her jack was gallivanting around the universe.

Gwen looked over at Martha. Gwen was baffled. She'd just been talking about him and he appeared! But Martha didn't seem to be too concerned. She looked back at Jack. He looked different. His hair was buzzed short and he wore a leather vest and jeans. She wouldn't imagine Jack like that. Would she?

Her Jack had lazy mussed up hair and suspenders. Where were his suspenders?

He spoke. "Gwen, I was here. I was here holding you. You weren't dreaming. I'm here." he was slowly walking towards her.

Why was she seeing this? She's just been through a traumatic experience. This had to be her brain's way of making everything better. Damn, why couldn't she deal with her issues without him? He wasn't coming back. He was never coming back. God, she so tired.

He touched her.

"Gwen."

They locked eyes. His were dark. Darker than she remembered; dark, lifeless, grey, old, and filled with worry.

"Gwen" He reached out to cup her cheek. "I'm here"

He was real. There were tingles originating from where his hand was touching her. She couldn't have imagined that. It was too real, too gorgeous.

He brushed a tear from her cheek. She was crying. Why was she crying?

"Oh, Gwen... I'm so sorry". His voice was pained and he was pulling her into him. Then she was sobbing. She didn't really know why. Her emotions were so confused and her brain was moving so slowly. Nothing made sense so all she could do was react.

There was so much she needed to figure out. But right now, she could only think about how warm he was. She recognized his scent. It was the scent she had missed and wished for for so long. Slowly, her eyes closed, giving into the exhaustion. His smell lulled her back into sleep.

XXX

Martha stood, staring at the pair of them. Jack was slowly stroking Gwen's cheek, wiping away the remnants of her tears. She was witnessing an intimate moment. It was uncomfortable yet precious at the same time.

"Jack, what do you want to do?" Martha could tell something big had just happened for Jack. She hadn't thought he was going to come in. He never was one for commitments and Gwen was going to be one hell of a commitment.

His arms tightened around Gwen's sleeping form protectively and resolve was plain on his face. "I'll take her."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. You won't have time to the time to help her. I've got nothing but time. You keep the world safe and I'll take care of Gwen. Deal?"

"Alright, Jack. Here, let me go get her a change of clothes. She can borrow some of mine for the time being. I've got extra stuff in my locker."

Martha left, leaving behind a man who was ready.

He had spent too many years letting other men be the ones to save Gwen. First it had been Owen. He had let that happen. Relinquishing the right to carry her when she was hurt and being the one she saw when she awoke had been painful, but necessary. She needed someone to relate to. She needed someone who would care for her but who wouldn't require a relationship from her. Owen had provided that.

Then it had been Rhys. They were married. He had to let Rhys be the hero that got the girl. If he hadn't run off, would she have gotten engaged? When he came back he was prepared to offer his love to her but when he felt the ring on her finger, he knew Rhys had given her a better offer. He wanted Gwen to be happy and settled. Rhys was the one who could give her that. He could have easily swept her off her feet and carried her away. She would have fallen for him, without a doubt. But he had more respect for her than to do that. He wanted to do it right, not behind anyone's back. He didn't want Gwen to feel guilty for loving him.

So he had left her alone. He had left the planet to leave her alone. After the pain of losing the rest of the team and the trauma of sacrificing his own descendant, he hadn't had the energy or drive to keep up his charade. The only thing he could do to redeem himself would be to leave; to rid the earth of his presence.

Now he was back and she was in his arms. She looked peaceful in her sleep, despite her bruised face and matted hair.. Was she the same Gwen he had loved? Had life hardened her yet? It might kill him if she was calloused and cold from being alone. He hadn't meant for it to happen like this. At every turn he had tried to do the right thing for her and he had failed miserably. He couldn't even see how it could have turned out any other way. Now she was broken and it was all his fault. Maybe he should have stayed away from her. This was a mistake. Being back in her life was just going to cause more trouble for her.

Martha came back, finding a man who was afraid.

"Here, Jack." She set the small bag of clothing on the table next to Gwen.

"Thanks.. Are there any rooms in here? Or can you give me a ride to a motel?"

"I'll take you to the motel. We have plans for a whole level of dorms but they aren't built yet."

"Thanks."

"Jack.."

"Yes?"

"Will you promise me you will take care of her?" Martha's big brown eyes were questioning and anxious. She didn't trust him. She didn't trust he would stay.

"I swear, Martha. I will do everything in my power to keep her safe." Whether this was a mistake or not, he had already committed. He was going to see this thing through now.

She could see the resolve come back to his face with the last statement. If Jack was anything, he was stubborn. He was going to see this though. "That's good enough for me. I'm releasing Gwen into your care, Jack."

"Thank you"

XXX

Martha dressed Gwen quickly in a dark grey dress. She used it all the time for sleeping. It was soft and loose and it brought her comfort. Hopefully it would do the same for Gwen.

She carried the bag of other essential items while Jack carried Gwen to the SUV. Once settled, they made her way to the motel.


	6. Chapter 6

The lady who had checked them in had given him a funny look when he walked through the front doors of the motel. He had to admit they made a curious pair. He still had fading bruises from the tussle at the mill and Gwen was passed out in his arms. Hopefully, Martha would call Andy and tell him to make sure the police ignored any calls about them from the hotel.

Carrying her, the bag, and opening the door to the room had been difficult, but he managed. The room was generic. Everything matched in shades of beige and brown it but looked reasonably clean. There was a large queen sized bed in the center of the left wall and a couch on the wall adjacent to it.

He tossed the bag onto the couch and carefully lay Gwen on the bed. Then he waited. He sat on the corner of the couch closest to her and watched her sleep. The sedation had taken a toll on her. She had looked so confused when he showed himself to her. The poor woman couldn't handle everything that had happened to her so she retreated into sleep.

Her eyes fluttered open. "Jack?"

"Hey you" He smiled and moved to kneel on the floor beside her head.

She glanced at him and then looked around the room. "Jack, where are we?" She sat up, slowly because she was still very dizzy and uncoordinated.

"It's a motel room. I brought you here to rest. We can stay as long as you like." He reached to take her hand in his but stopped when she jerked away from his touch, spooked. He tried again. This time his movement was slower. "Gwen, you are safe with me. I'm here to keep you safe." She let him take her hand. He slowly stroked his thumb across the back of it and brought it to his lips briefly. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Do you want to hear about it?" Her voice seemed slightly agitated.

"I just want to make sure you don't feel alone in this."

"I am alone in this, Jack."

"I'm with you?"

"Doesn't mean I'm not alone."

He let it drop. They sat together for several minutes. He kept her hand in his. She eventually spoke. Her voice was quiet and monotone like it had been during the examination with Martha. "I was raped." The monotone broke and was replaced with agitation again. "I was raped and it's my fault because I shouldn't have been hanging around them anyway."

"Gwen, don't you dare say it was your fault. Nothing should be treated that way."

"Well I was treated that way." She sounded angry now.

"Gwen, what happened to you wasn't your fault. Those men did a hideous thing to you. Don't ever think it's your fault." He squeezed her hand.

"Who the HELL are you to tell me what to think, Jack Harkness?!" She spat out his name and wrenched her hand from his grasp. "You abandoned me. You didn't give a fuck about how I was. Who the hell are you to waltz back into my life and tell me what to think?!" after glaring at him, daring him to argue, she swayed and leaned back into the padded headboard. Quietly, she mumbled "Jack, why are you here? Why don't you leave me alone?"

They were quiet for several moments before he spoke. He was barely audible. "I can't leave you alone, Gwen."

"Why, Jack?" Her voice matched his volume.

"Because.. I missed you too much." There was strain in his now. It was almost like he was holding back tears. He reached out to take her hand again but she pulled away. "Gwen, I came back because life meant nothing to me anymore. I came back hoping to find you."

"Well, too bad you couldn't have found me before I was raped. Or before I tried to kill myself. Or before I lost custody of my child. Or before Rhys divorced me. Or before I lost my job. Or before I gave birth. You couldn't have come back then could you?" She was seething. She knew what had happened to her wasn't his fault, but she wanted to blame him anyway.

"I'm here now. Can't that count for anything?"

"No"

"What can I do?"

"Leave" She was trembling. He couldn't have her so easily. She wanted him to suffer like she had suffered. She wanted him to be alone and vulnerable like she was. She wanted him to be unloved just like her.

But there was a rebellious part of her that didn't want to be alone. A part of her that was still frightened. This was the part of her that made her jerk away from Martha and Jack's touches like a wild animal spooks away from his hunter. That part of her didn't want to be unprotected even if that meant having Jack for company.

"I can't leave, Gwen. I promised Martha I would take care of you."

She was shaking harder as the two sides in her mind battled. One side told her to be strong. 'Hate him' it said, 'hate him and prove to him you don't need him. Make him pay'. The other side was begging, 'Don't let him leave. Don't let him leave you alone. You can't do this anymore'. Tears started to fall down her cheeks.

"Gwen… sweetheart… please..." He stood and pulled her against him like he had in the medical bay. "It's ok to be frightened. It's ok to be angry. Hate me. Just let me help you." She started to weep. "What is it?"

"I _am_ frightened, Jack. I'm so frightened." She sobbed against his stomach, giving in to the comfort he provided. "I'm so dirty, Jack".

Her cries broke his heart. He pulled her tighter and stroked her back softly. "You aren't dirty, love."

"Their hands were all over me. I can still feel them touching me." Her voice was cracking and he could tell she was finally giving in and letting out the pent up emotion from her encounter. Up until now she had tried to be strong. "I still feel them crushing themselves against me. I feel the pain of their cocks in me. I still smell them on my skin." Her sobs turned into wails, which turned into screams. She struggled to gain composure again but he pulled her into himself harder.

"It _is_ ok to be frightened. Don't try to keep it hidden, Gwen. I am here for you now. You don't have to hide anything from me."

"I can't get them off, Jack." She screamed then quieted a little. Knowing it was from sheer exhaustion and not any sort of "recovery", he kept his hold on her.

"Would you feel better with a shower? You could wash it all away" She continued to tremble but she nodded her head. Her lower lip was pouting in an almost childlike way. It was adorable. "Ok, then. Let's get you cleaned up."

He let her go and stood beside the bed, waiting for her to stand as well. She scooted forward and turned to let her legs swing off the bed. Shakily she tried to stand. He caught her quickly as she started to sway and fall. "Whoa, there. Still sedated, are we?"

"I guess so."

He helped her towards the bathroom. Helping her required a lot of his strength since she was barely holding herself up. He hadn't been in the bathroom yet and was surprised to find it was spacious and pleasant. There was a large shower and an array of hotel soapy things. He had a weakness for scented bath effects. He set her in the shower carefully and adjusted the water with the nozzle pointed away from her until the temperature of the water was steamy but not scalding.

She was still wearing Martha's grey nightgown. "Do you need help with that?" If he hadn't been so dead set on not scaring her, he might have sounded hesitant. He was glad he had years of practice at controlling his voice to con others into trusting him. This was sketchy territory but he refused to think about Gwen like that while she was still unstable. She needed him to be her rock. It was his turn to be her rock.

She shook her head so he stepped out of the shower and left her sitting on the floor. Closing the curtain, he left and waited outside the door should she need him.

A couple minutes passed before he heard his name.

"Yeah?" He called back.

"I can't get it off" She sounded a little defeated and very apprehensive.

"Ok.. No problem" He found her where he had left her. The only difference was the grey dress was specked with droplets of water and she seemed exhausted by her effort to remove it. He stood behind her and lifted it off. He kept his eyes averted to protect her modesty. He didn't know if he was ever going to see her naked, but if he was, he wanted it to be under different circumstances. "There you go!" He kept his tone cheerful and indifferent, like what was happening wasn't anything out of the ordinary.

She knew she couldn't do this by herself. If she were really going to get clean she would need his help. She was so afraid to ask him though.

He started to walk away but stopped when he felt a tug on the leg of his jeans. He didn't turn to look.

"I... I need help still... I don't think I can do this by myself"

He swallowed what felt like an ostrich egg, but nodded and she let go of his jeans. "Ok, Gwen... Would you feel better if it weren't so bright in here?"

"Yes."

"Hang on a minute". He went into the room and turned on the overhead light. He had left it off originally to let her sleep. The light coming through the window had been plenty to see by. He went into the bathroom and turned off the light and cracked open the door so there was just enough light in which to make out objects. He would feel better if he couldn't see either.

He stripped off his jeans and his leather jacket and took off his shoes and socks but he left on the white undershirt and his boxers. Then he entered the shower. He could make out where she was but all the details were blurred. This was manageable. Hopefully she would feel hidden and safe.

He grabbed a bar of soap and a washcloth and knelt behind her. When he reached out to sweep her hair off her back he heard her inhale sharply and stiffen. "I'm not going to hurt you Gwen. I'll never hurt you." He whispered softly. Slowly and methodically he scrubbed circles across her shoulders and down her back. He took her left arm and washed it clean. Then he took her right and did the same. He paid special attention to her hands, scrubbing each finger thoroughly. He had to bend in an uncomfortable way to reach them without touching her but it was worth it.

She was relaxing into his attentions and he could feel her breathing even out and deepen. It was almost a perfect moment. The urge to pull her close and hold her was overwhelming but he kept it at bay.

When he had finished with the safe areas, he handed her the cloth and grabbed the shampoo. "Scrub your front." He instructed. She took the cloth and scrubbed while he slowly massaged the shampoo into her scalp. He was started when she started jerking back and forth violently. "Gwen stop!" She was vigorously scrubbing and scratching at her breast.

"I can't get them off me!" she cried.

Swallowing his apprehension, he said, "Let me try". He cleared any suds that were in danger of dripping down into her eyes before her stood and moved to her front. He sat down and took the cloth, stopping the attack on her body.

Even in the dark he could tell her eyes were wide and he could feel the fear emanating from her. "Gwen, let me help you."

She sat perfectly still, every muscle in her body tense. She felt like she was in danger. She needed to get away.

He felt her tension. Leaning forward, he pressed his forehead to hers, the water showering down on both of them. "Please trust me sweetheart... Can you do that?" He reached forward to cup her cheek.

She reflexively grabbed his hand, then the tension left her and she leaned into his touch with a sigh. 'Thank God' he thought. "Gwen, I swear to you, you will never be hurt like that again."

"Ok, Jack" They were so close. The darkness was the only thing hiding them and it felt good. He had wanted this closeness for so long. But it wasn't really his, not yet at least.

"Now let's get you cleaned up, shall we?"


	7. Chapter 7

It had been several hours but he still couldn't sleep. Gwen was asleep on the bed while he lay restless on the couch. His mind was too busy thinking to rest.

_He had been careful to make sure only the cloth touched her as he washed off her chest and shoulders. During the process he had to stop to rest his forehead against hers because she had started to cry again._

_"Have I frightened you, Gwen?" He wasn't sure what the best way to help her would be. Hopefully, getting her to put her faith in him would help to ease the burden she carried; let him take care of it so she can rest._

_"I can still feel them touching me.."_

_"I'm the only one touching you. Don't think about them anymore. They can't ever touch you again."_

_"How can you know that, Jack?" Her tears mingled with the water and fell onto both of them._

_"I took care of it."_

_"What? What are you talking about?"_

_"I made sure they could never hurt you again."_

Gwen stirred, breaking him away from his reflections. She moaned and rolled over. Her sleep didn't seem peaceful but it was better than getting none. He watched her for a minute before slipping back into his musings.

_She hadn't pressed the question further, thankfully, and let that be the end of it. Sensing she would be ok if he returned to his scrubbing, he decided he would start at the 'danger zones' and then work outward because he didn't want her to feel apprehensive like he was slowly invading the sanctuary of her body; get it over with quick so they both couldn't think about it too much. So with a confident hand, he washed her stomach, briefly brushed against her groin, and then moved to her thighs. He sat back and told her to lean against the shower wall. Once she did, he crouched over her legs and steadily scrubbed back and forth, occasionally lifting her leg to get the underside. Her skin had been hot and smooth to his touch and at several points during the shower he was glad it was too dark for her to see, otherwise she would have been frightened by his reaction to her._

_He sat back and took a few seconds to breathe before he rinsed the cloth and re-administered the suds to it. She pulled back and sat Indian style, giving him room to kneel close in front of her. He carefully washed her face. That had been the most intimate part of the evening. Her eyes were closed, letting him wash the smooth planes of her face. His fingers had brushed over her mouth and he felt himself linger there. He had to forcefully wrench himself away from those soft full lips._

_There was still the issue of her sudsy hair to deal with so he stood and put his hands under her arms to help her up. She stood on her own for a few seconds before swaying precariously again. He caught her before she hit the ground. She'd twisted during the fall and was now facing away from him. He placed his hands back under arms and guiding her under the fall of the water, he tried to rinse off all the suds._

_"Other side" he murmured to her as he carefully turned her around. Unfortunately, she lurched forward into him. His arms instinctively wrapped around her. They pressed together. There was a second of slight shock from both parties. They had obviously hugged before, but they had never been close like that. _

_"That's enough falling for tonight." He instructed her like he used to do as her boss. She was so near he didn't have speak above a murmur. Gently, he pushed her away and guided her back under the stream. There was still suds in here hair so he tried to hold her under one arm with a hand and massage the suds off her scalp with the other but it didn't work quite as well as he had hoped. She seemed precariously off balanced._

_""Its ok, Jack." She'd whispered to him and took a step closer._

_He wished she hadn't had to reassure him but he was glad for it anyway. So, bringing her close again, he wrapped his left arm around her waist and used his other arm to rinse suds out of her hair. When he had pulled her against him she was slightly stiff, but after a minute or two she relaxed. A little moan escaped her. She hadn't been taken care of and touched like this in such a long time. The way he scratched her head felt wonderful. He noticed her hair was matted towards the nape of her neck. He hated how far she had deteriorated. Pressed close to him, he could feel the sharp angles of her hipbones digging into him._

_She was getting very sleepy. The hot water added to her lethargic state. Slumping against him, she gave up trying to stand on her own. She was thoroughly rinsed so he wrapped both arms around her and held her tightly, stroking the back of her head and upper back slowly._

_He knew he should end it and put her to bed, but he didn't want to. Here she was falling asleep in his arms. His Gwen was finally with him again. All he let himself think about was how happy he was in that moment and how precious she was to him._

_Several minutes passed and he eventually grew tired of standing. After turning off the shower, he reached out to grab her a towel. He carefully wrapped it around her and her eyes fluttered open. _

_"Jack.." her voice was slurred._

_"Mhmm?"_

_"I've got to pee"_

_He'd laughed and assured her that was ok. Picking her up, he placed her on the toilet and walked out, flipping on the light as he exited._

_"Just yell when you're ready"_

_Grabbing the bag off the couch, he rummaged through it looking for something dry for her to wear. He had to smirk when he pulled out a smaller bag within full of his belongings. Unzipping it, he pulled out his coat. Martha must have grabbed stuff out of his ship earlier. He stripped out of his dripping clothing and changed quickly into a fresh set. Then, he draped his coat across the back of the couch. He didn't really know why he'd kept the coat for three years except that it had been a part of him for so long, discarding it hadn't even really been a thought._

_He found the grey dress rumpled on the floor. It wasn't very wet and looked so soft and cozy. He laid it out on the bed for her._

_"Hey, I'm... I'm ready"_

_"Alright!" He walked into the bright bathroom, finding her on the toilet with the towel clutched to her almost desperately. "Tuck that in so it can stay up by itself." She did. He stood next to her. "Put your arms around my neck" he murmured to her. After she complied, he lent down and put an arm under her legs and the other behind her back. Then he carried her like a child to bed._

_Dressing her had been strange. The dress went over her head first and then was pulled over the towel. After some squirming, it was over her bum too. Once he accomplished that, he pulled off the towel. Not looking at her chest, free of any restrictions and only covered by the thin material, had been difficult. Her whole body was tempting. Sure, she was much thinner than he remembered, but she was still his beautiful Gwen. He would have time to help her get healthy again._

_In the light he could see how matted her hair was. There was a dread at the nape of her neck and one forming in her bangs. That was one thing he could fix now. Grabbing a brush out of the bag, he sat beside her and got to work. She seemed a little surprised but didn't say anything. Eyes drooping, she'd leaned into him, making it much harder to brush her hair. He got a good bit of it done before she nodded off and jerked awake quickly. He set the brush aside. "Ready for bed?"_

_"Mhmm. I'm very ready." She yawned._

_He'd pulled her back towards the head of the bed and fixed the covers over her. Kissing her forehead and brushing a stray hair from her face, he turned off the light and lay on the couch._

The events of the night replayed over and over in his mind. It was been quiet, precious, and intimate. She was helpless and he was taking care of her. Even being from the 51st century, there are some urges that never go away. The urge to be the protector of your mate and be the one they need, never faded with the centuries. The definition of "mate" had changed but the need to have one hadn't.

Suddenly, he realized he was steadily growing tired. After all, he had been up for close to forty-eight hours at this point. Typically, he at least slept one to two hours a night and usually, the hours spent awake weren't quite so strenuous psychologically.

Gwen let out a cute little snore. Smiling, he fell asleep.

XXX

He awoke with a start. Gwen's screams had ripped him away from his dreamless sleep. Jumping up, he turned on the bedside lamp and looked around wildly for the reason for her fright. Seeing nothing, his gaze returned to her. She was asleep; covers discarded and twisted around her tossing form. He reached out to stop her thrashing and, like the first time, that resulted in wilder screams and more violent efforts to fend off attackers.

"GWEN" he yelled, shaking her shoulders.

Her eyes flew open and locked with his. She trembled from head to toe and tears were falling freely. "They got me again, Jack. They won't let me go."

"No, they didn't. They have no power over you now." He let go of her shoulders and sat beside her again.

"It hurts."

He wrapped his arms around her and crushed her to his chest. "I'm so sorry. But I'm here now and so no one can ever hurt you again." He recognized the reality of that promise. He was prepared to live it out.

She cried against him till she drifted off again. When he felt her slump against him, he gently laid her down again and stood to go back to his couch.

"Please, don't go." She whimpered from behind him.

Surprised, he turned around and found her awake again and looking at him with big weepy eyes. "What do you need, Gwen?"

"Stay with me."

His heart pounded as he crawled back to her, slipping under the covers and pulling her head to his chest again. "Are you ok, now?" He was almost whispering against the top of her head.

"You keep me warm."

He stroked her cheekbone, wiping away her tears with his thumb. "I'll protect you. Go to sleep knowing I'm here to take care of you. Nothing can hurt you here."

She whimpered and buried her face against him, eventually falling asleep.

He held her closely, taking in the scent of her hair, the warmth coming off her body, the slight rise and fall of her chest as she breathed, and the subtle beating of her heart. She was his. Right then in that moment, she was his.

"You're safe here, darling. You are safe here, in my arms," He whispered before he too fell into sleep.


	8. Chapter 8

They spent the next three days together. They played board games, watched movies, and ordered room service. He ordered her a huge steak on their first lunch in the hotel. Her eyes were huge when he instructed her to eat the whole thing. "Eat it all and you get a backrub," he promised. She ate it all.

After the first morning, the sedation had worn off fully so she was able to function on her own, but he was unwilling to leave her yet. She didn't want to be left alone either. He could see it in her demeanor. Whenever he was across the room from her she looked scared. She was clingy. Very clingy. He didn't mind and he figured that was normal considering what she'd been through. He was more than happy to let her snuggle up next to him all the time.

She hated when she wasn't touching him. She was fine as long as they were in contact somehow. She didn't know why she needed the closeness so badly but she knew she needed it. When he parted from her, even for only a few minutes, her heart raced and adrenaline pumped through her. Then he'd touch her and it felt like a wave of peace passed over her.

Thankfully, she was capable of showering and looking after herself without him. He didn't know how the first night had passed without incident but he didn't trust himself to keep doing that with her. A slip up was inevitable and wouldn't be helpful to her whatsoever.

The first night had been so strange. She didn't have a clear memory of what had actually happened. The bits she did remember were terrifying. Had she really been naked in the shower with Jack? Had he really washed her hair? Waking up in his arms for the first time ever had been the strangest moment of her life. For a moment she couldn't remember how she'd gotten there. But it all came back quickly enough and she relaxed into his arms. He smelled so good. She'd missed that smell so much. His scent alone was enough to sooth her when she was frightened.

Each night he spent with her. She had regular nightmares. He did his best to sooth her when they came back. She relived her rape in her dreams over and over. It was heartbreaking for him to see her that afraid and tormented. Not wanting to set himself up for failure, he and Gwen usually started the night several feet apart but by morning he always found himself holding her.

Her soft body felt so good in his arms and she seemed to sleep better snuggled up next to him too.

Every night he was with her. Her nightmares consumed her and he was the one who saved her from them over and over. She wished she wasn't this much trouble.

But every morning when she woke up and she was crushed against his chest, she was glad she had him nonetheless.

The third morning he decided would be her last one in the hotel. It was time to integrate her into life again. They moved into her flat together and he spent a few days with her there. He weaned her off sleeping next to him gradually. It was so hard to separate himself from her. But it had to be done. He didn't want to be a pseudo-boyfriend. If he and Gwen were going to be together, it had to be for real, after she'd healed from her trauma. By the end of the week he was back on the couch and only going to her when she screamed from the nightmares, which didn't happen every night anymore. After two weeks he moved out completely. But every day he still would spend with her. At night, usually pretty late; they spent the evenings together watching movies, he'd put her to bed and go home to his motel room.

She didn't like being distanced from Jack but she knew it was probably for the best. He wasn't abandoning her. He stayed with her as long as he could.

He checked on her every day over the next month. They were closer than ever before. After breaking most physical barriers the first night together, she'd eliminated any distance between them. When he was with her, she tended to be right next to him. During movies she curled up against him and when they went out, which was very terrifying for her the first several times, she clutched his arm to her.

He asked her about it one day and she responded with "I've been away from you so long, I can't bear any more distance. Why be apart when I can be with you?"

"Fair enough"

She felt like there were dangers waiting for her around every corner and in every shadow. He didn't mind being her protector. She could be codependent on him for as long as she needed to heal.

Every day was different. When he opened the door to her flat, he never knew what he was going to find. Some days she seemed fine; her hair brushed, flat clean, and a smile on her face. Other days weren't so good. He would find her asleep on the couch cradling a bottle of alcohol with more bottles strewn about the flat. He had to be patient with her and be the consistency in her life. If she didn't have consistency, she'd never get better.

Today was one of those "bad" days. When he knocked on her door, there was no answer. Sighing, he fumbled around for his set of spare keys to her place. He got the door unlocked and wandered into her dark apartment. All the curtains were drawn and the lights were off. He flicked them on, revealing Gwen's prone form sprawled on the living room floor. She hadn't changed from the night before. He knelt by her and gently shook her shoulder, waking her. She obviously wasn't feeling well. It must have been really bad last night. Her eyes were bloodshot and she smelt rank.

"Morning, lovely" He woke her the same way every day no matter how she was doing.

He helped her to sit up. Almost immediately, he saw the look on her face that meant trouble. Picking her up, he briskly carried her to the bathroom and set her in front of the toilet. Just in time, too. She hurled into the bowl while he gently held her hair away.

She wished he didn't have to see her like this ever but unfortunately he got this side of her far too often. She hated the helplessness that came with being sick. She was pitiful. She knew he was probably getting tired of looking after her.

When she was done, he left to give her time to shower. After cleaning up the empty bottles, he lounged on her couch in the living room, wondering what could have set her off this time. The poor woman deserved some peace, he just didn't know how to give it to her.

The water turned off and he could hear her rummaging around in her dresser for clothing. A few minutes later, and she was curled up by his side once again. The stink of dried sweat, vomit, and alcohol was replaced by her strawberry shampoo. She wore boxers and a big fitting tee shirt.

"Feeling better?" He asked quietly.

"Barely"

He pulled her in closer and aimlessly rubbed her shoulder. "What happened? Another dream?"

"No."

He sat and waited for her to continue. Several minutes passed. He didn't stop tracing the line of her shoulder.

His hand rubbing circles on her sent waves of warmth through her body. The misery that had come from being hung over eased slightly.

"I called Rhys"

"Oh." He had no idea where this was going. He didn't think they were still in communication.

"I remembered it's Anwen's birthday next week. I called him asking if I could come to the party. He said no."

He was silent again. Maybe the old Jack would have spouted off random crap, but this Jack had a new job and that job was to care for Gwen. Gwen didn't need useless crap right now.

"I miss her, Jack." She started to cry and hid her face against his chest. She was embarrassed about how much she cried lately. He was going to think she was a crazy if she couldn't get a grip. Why couldn't she be solid and emotionally balanced?! Constantly swinging from happy to sad to angry to scared was exhausting... This time she couldn't stop the tears. So she plowed on. "I miss my baby. I just want to see her. She's my child and I don't even get to see her face. I haven't seen her in six months. I bet she's grown and forgotten who I am." She could only hide her face from him, not the strangled tone of her voice or the tremors shaking her body.

"Shh.. Gwen.. It will be ok. Why don't you let me talk to Rhys?"

"Do you really think it would help?"

"I don't know but I can try."

She nodded in assent.

They spent the next few hours together on the couch, enjoying each other's warmth while Jack thought on how to approach Rhys.


	9. Chapter 9

Jack's fingers hesitated to push the call button. He reeeaaally didn't want to talk to Gwen's ex-husband. He was sure Rys didn't have too many good feelings towards him. With a sigh, his finger pushed down on the little green button before his brain could think about it anymore. Jack stared at the phone, internally debating whether or not calling would actually work. Too late to go back now, he put the phone to his ear and listened to the dial tone. After a few rings, a decidedly welsh voice picked up.

"Hello?"

"Rys?"

"Yes? Who is this?"

"Jack."

"Harkness? What the hell are you doing back here?" Oh no. He really dint sound too happy. Jack steeled himself.

"I came to see Gwen"

"Uh huh, sure you did. You're a bugger you know that Jack?"

"Yes I know. But what did I do?"

"I blame you for how things are. If you had never blown through her life, through _our _lives, none of this shit would have ever happened. You put thoughts into her head, Jack. They poisoned her mind! Made her go crazy!"

"She wants to see Anwen."

"Like hell she does! I heard about what happened to her. If you think I'll let her around Anwen in the condition she is in now, Harkness, then you are a fool."

"She's doing pretty well, actually. If you consider how terribly she was doing before."

"Oh I'm sure! Now you're back and went and swept her off her feet. Again. But I know how you work, Harkness. You can't fool me. I know you'll leave her and she'll end up back where she was. Or worse! There is no way I'm letting her influence anywhere near my daughter."

"You're wrong about two things Rys. Firstly, Anwen is _both _of yours. And secondly, I have no plans on leaving Gwen any time soon"

"You're just delaying the inevitable, Jack. Eventually you'll leave. And the longer you're here, then the harder it will be on her when you disappear again."

"If I swore I would never leave her, and stayed till she died or left me, would you let her see her daughter?"

Rys paused and static filled silence was heavy through the line before his determined reply came. "No because I don't believe you could ever hold yourself to that."

Jack was silent for several seconds, girding his strength.

"I love her, Rys" He admitted plainly, surprised by how easy it was to say out loud.

Rys said nothing and the line went quiet. Jack grew concerned that his declaration wouldn't be enough for Rys. His heart began to pound as the seriousness of his words started to really settle on him.

Finally, Rys broke the silence. "You mean that don't you."

"I'll always mean that." Jack replied with certainty.

There was another long pause before Rys responded. "I don't know why I believe you, but I do. Fine. She can come to her birthday but she's not to be left alone with Anwen, you hear me, Harkness?"

"Yes, sir, I do."Jack took a deep breath. "Thanks man. She is going to be so happy. Good talking to you."

"Yeah sure." Rys replied flatly before hanging up.

Well that's done with, thought Jack. Now, he just had to live up to the standard he'd just set. Inwardly he groaned at the thought of potentially letting Gwen down.

Jack put the cell away, not sure of his next move.

He loved Gwen. He truly did. But was now the time to tell her? Would she react positively? Did she even feel the same way at all? It was passible she was just attached to him because of the circumstances of his return. She probably didn't feel anything for him as a person.

But what if she did? What if she wanted him as her own? He could be monogamous with his Gwen. It wasn't all that hard for him, really, he'd done it before. He'd learned that the best parts of his long life had been the ones filled by commitment.

The worst parts of his life were when those commitments were stolen from him by the great thief Time. Those parts were so intense and had such longevity, that they cast grim shadows over the beautiful loves he'd shared.

Jack had a great capacity to love deeply. It was one of the things he was best at. He could love so deeply, so completely, that the all-consuming loss he was forced to feel after their passing often outspanned even the time he shared with his loved one.

So he stopped loving. Or at least he had tried. It seemed to work until his blasted Torchwood team. They had followed him so well and fought with such vitality and ferocity, they had awoken his own heart. They caused him to love all of them.

And when they were lost to him, because of him… It was all too much to take. He loved the Earth too much to continue to disgrace it with his presence.

If it had not been for Gwen. His most precious love and the only survivor of his team. He had left, not wanting to put her life in jeopardy any longer. But it seemed Jack Harkness was doomed to fail. He had only aggravated the situation.

Jack cursed, whipping around and heading for Gwen's flat.

He was staying. He would stay with Gwen. She was worth it. She was worth anything. If he lost sight of how precious human life was, however mortal, however doomed to fade, he would cease to have any humanity left. He needed to cling to her, to cling to life in its brevity. He needed her and the love she could give him.

For what is the meaning of life if there is no love?

XXX

"Gwen!" Jack yelled, voice verging on angry as he burst into her flat.

"What?" She jumped up from the couch in surprise. "Jack? Are you alright?" Her accent was so damn cute he could barely stand it.

"No." He commanded. "Sit. I have something I need to say to you."

She made as if to speak but he shushed her with a finger to her plump lips. "Hush. Do not interrupt." He ran a hand though his ever thick hair. "I- I don't think I can say this with you bloody interrupting me.

She sat slowly, eyeing him like a wary dog.

He started pacing in front of her shabby couch. "Look. I know I left before. And. I think I need to apologise for that. I… I wasn't thinking clearly. I mean- I was thinking clearly, but along the wrong path. I thought that there was nothing left for me on earth. My team was dead, my grandson dead, the hub crumbling to the ground. All I could see was devastation around me and I couldn't handle it. I ran like a coward.

"I never should have left you, Gwen. I thought I should leave you. You were married, about to have a child… I thought I should get out of your life before I could cause any more turmoil. I didn't want you to have to make any choices that could cause you to lose those things. I wanted you to be happy.

"I left because I wanted more, sweetie. I wanted more with you and I was denied from taking it. I respected Rys too much to go and sneak you away from him. There was a time where I would have, but after all that had happened… I just.. Couldn't.

"So, selfishly, I decided that if I couldn't have everything I wanted, I wouldn't have anything. And I ran. From you. From my responsibilities. From the world.

"And so, when I realiezed I couldn't run from you even in the furthest god forsaken star in the universe, I returned. To you. Only to find a very different woman than the one I left. I am so, so sorry, dear Gwen. I don't care if you want me now. I am staying whether you like it or not. I will never leave you. I want to be yours, in whatever form or fashion that you may want or need me to be. I will be here till the day you die."

He paused and turned to her, slowly dropping to his knees before her and daring to place his hands on her knees. He noticed with slight concern that they were trembling and he looked up to see tears welling up in her big eyes. He brushed one escapee off her pale cheek.

"Gwen, sweetie, I'm so afraid to say this but I will, knowing there will never be a better moment." He paused and took in a deep breath. "I love you. I want you. So much. I would die for you every day for the rest of eternity if I could just call you mine. I understand if this is too much to ask. I am willing to be the gay guy who comes over sometimes and girl talks with you. Anything, just so long as you are happy and safe, but that isn't my true desire.

I want to be the man who sleeps in your bed and keeps you warm, who tells you how stunning you and takes you out just to show you off. I want to know you in every way. I want to be yours and you mine, if you would have me."

He dropped his head to her knee to hide his glistening eyes. This was the only thing that made him feel vulnerable. He waited for her but she said nothing, only continued to tremble.

"Gwen, please say something."

He felt two shaky hands slip into his hair and pull up his face. He complied with trepidation.

But oh, joy!

She was smiling, albeit tearily, truly smiling. It was such a rare thing to behold now and he caused her to smile.

Jack gasped and met her halfway, meeting her with a passionate kiss. It was sloppy and wet, salty from tears.

She pulled away. "You'll never leave me?" She gasped

"Never"

They fell to the couch, entwined, struggling to get close enough. Jack felt a raging passion within him, one he hadn't felt in a very long time and he knew he needed her. She ripped his shirt over his shoulders, tearing it in the process.

"Opps" She giggled, hands slaying over his warm skin.

"I love you too, Jack. I love you" She pulled him inter her, kissing him violently.

He knew he needed to be sure. He needed a clear 'go-ahead' from her. He didn't want her to be frightened when she forgot her anxieties in the second, only to have them rushing back in the most crucial moments approaching.

He pulled her close, half laying over her on the threadbare couch. "Gwen, are you sure about this? I can wait. Don't be rushed."  
>"No, Jack. Its not like that. I… I don't feel scared in the slightest. I feel safe here within your arms" She smiled at him again. "I want you now" She clarified for him plainly.<p>

"Good" He grumbled slowly, rolling them over till they fell off the couch and hit the carpet with a thud.

Then he kissed her. He kissed her with all is love and passion… and experience, and Gwen knew without a doubt that she was ready for this with Jack Harkness. She loved him and she could have him. For the rest of her life.

They kissed the night away, ending up in her bed stark naked, exhausted, sticky, and burning with the after effects of deep pleasure.

Jack pulled his unconscious woman to his chest, burying his nose in her hair and kissing the crown of her head.

And Jack Harkness knew love.

_Fin_

**AN:**

**Thanks so much for reading this short little story of mine! Please review :)**


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